


Public Appearance

by piperconnn



Category: Homestuck
Genre: F/M, minor language, post sgrub AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-09
Updated: 2014-01-09
Packaged: 2018-01-08 03:41:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,565
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1127909
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/piperconnn/pseuds/piperconnn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Feferi Peixes finally holds her coronation, and as such wishes to appear with her choices for Supreme Legislacerator and Naval Commander by her side.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Public Appearance

**Author's Note:**

> A thing I did for the HSWC that I'm pretty okay with. The artwork is by eriter.tumblr.com, and not my own, but I used it with permission from the artist.

The preparation room is quiet, all in all. The sound of the aquatic life outside, the occasional servant walking past the shut door. If you listen very, very closely, you can hear Eridan breathing a few feet away from you.  
 

The colors, however, are loud. Feferi isn't much of one for subtlety; even for something as small as a preparation room. But today's a special day, you reason. For the Coronation, everything must be absolutely perfect. Even the minute details of the décor, the details no one will ever see. Besides you two, that is.  
 

The scents of the room hit your face like a brick whenever you inhale. Golds, tyrians, pure whites; you take small breaths at the lavish color palette to save yourself from a headache. There's slightly more noise outside and you know that the citizens have arrived.  
 

You and Eridan sit within a small bubble shaped room off the side of the massive stadium, steered so that the event will be on the shore. Feferi was firm on her stance that all her new subjects should be able to witness it, not just the seadwellers. As Supreme Legislacerator, you get to experience the occasion while blindly gazing at the back of Feferi's head. At least you won't be alone, thankfully.  
 

You can practically smell the nerves radiating off Eridan, though you know he would never admit it. The Honorable Grand Admiral and Chief of All Empirical Naval Operations, as he always introduces himself, has been fidgeting nonstop with the edge of his cape since you've arrived. The smallest flash of violet happen in the corner of your senses, and you stifle a smile as you observe. He's been at it for twenty minutes now.  
 

You lounge on the plush sofa provided, busying yourself with a plume of a cushion. Tied, untied, tied, untied. You're disastrously bored, planning a way to mess with some of the walkers outside. As you plot, the silence is suddenly broken, by the Honorable Grand Admiral and Chief of All Empirical Naval Operations himself.  
 

“You knoww, if you're sittin' there not makin' much use a yourself, you might as wwell stop wwastin' the nice clean air bein' provvided for you and get off your ass.” he speaks up. You huff and sink even deeper into your spot, making sure to let out a dramatic, over-exaggerated yawn. “Maybe savve me the trouble a havvin' to grab my rifle since you're not really goin' to be expendin' much energy. I'm sure you'll look good carryin' the equipment a the honorable head admiral out there.”  
 

You finally sit up straight and lean onto the arm of the couch, blinking needlessly at him. Finally you retort, “Your title is redundant.”  
 

His cheeks puff up and you grin at him. You know why he wants you to get it for him; it's powerful. He's had the rifle since before you met, sweeps and sweeps ago. He wouldn't want anyone to touch it  _but_  you. It's his way of showing off, peacocking his way around by having you feel it. Ooh, he's so strong, so fearsome. Swoon. As if. Eridan is so easy to read that you don't even need to see to get a good look at his mind. It's child's play.  
 

You pull yourself off the couch and move a few feet over, running your hand over the wall. The rifle is mounted rather low, and your fingers graze the stock lightly.  
 

“I think I look good without carrying it, don't you, Admiral?” you ask sweetly and bat your lashes at him.  
 

“You could alwways look better if you ask me, and trust me, I'm an expert on lookin' better.” he answers.  
 

You shrug. “That's the first that I've heard of it.” Ignoring his request, you lean against the wall. Now that he's stopped fidgeting around, you notice something. “Your cape isn't on right.”  
 

“Wwhat? Yes it is. I'vve been doin' it this wway for sweeps, Ter.”  
 

“Then maybe it's time for you to learn how to do it correctly.” you reply and pull yourself up, moving towards him. He takes a step back, but you keep advancing until your fingers are at his collar. For an Alternian, especially one of his rank, to let someone's hands that close to his neck, he either trusts you or he's stupid. You're willing to bet on both. You adjust it slowly, finally clasping the gold chain on it shut. “There.”  
  
  
  
  
  
  
“It feels uncomfortable.” Of course, he complains immediately.  
 

“You'll be alright. It looks better like this.”  
 

“Is that a fuckin' blind joke?”  
 

Your only answer is a wink.  
 

You haven't moved away from him yet, and your hands are still at the edges of his cloak where you can feel the slight cool radiating off of his skin through your fingertips. How long is it, again, until the coronation? You've forgotten. He has too, apparently, because suddenly his lips are brushing across yours and suddenly you're kissing him.  
 

The silence is broken one more time when the door flings itself open and a servant stands in the doorway, stammering at The Honorable Grand Admiral and Chief of All Empirical Naval Operations canoodling with the Supreme Legislacerator.  
 

“I—We're--It's about to begin, sir—ma'am--"  
 

“Leavve.” Oh, right. Eridan's broken the kiss and you stand back, feeling rather annoyed. For a moment you wonder if the fetcher will cause you any trouble before you notice the quivering of his nod and the rushed exit. He knows better.  
 

“It's about to start.” you say to Eridan, stepping away from him.  
 

“I still need my rifle.”  
 

“You can get it.”  
 

“I outrank you.”  
 

You reach up and flick his nose, snickering. “You're not even in my division.” There's a bustle outside and you remember that you're supposed to be somewhere. No time for playing around now. You return to the wall and retrieve the rifle from its mount. You can smell the cocky smile on Eridan's face and for a moment, consider tossing it to him, just to rile him up. But you don't. Instead you join him as you leave, exiting the room side by side. He quietly speaks to you as you march.  
 

“Okay Ter, look sharp. You can't be makin' any mistakes wwhile wwe're up here. Any fuck ups and you'll not only be embarrassin' yourself, but the whole fuckin' coronation and more importantly, ME. I don't wwant to be associated wwith a fuck up. Chin up, shoulders broad, look like you're about to throww your fists dowwn the throat a anyone wwho pronounces your name wwrong ok? Wwe gotta back up Fef here. Strong and silent. Don't be afraid to leer at them. They gotta knoww wwho's in charge. They gotta--”  
 

“Yes, Eridan. I know. Make the people respect the government.”  
 

“Right.”  
 

“Don't show any weakness or distraction.”  
 

“Right.”  
 

“Don't confuse them with your hilarious accent.”  
 

“Ri—TER.”  
 

You laugh again and speed up your stride and he hastens to keep up with you. Soon enough you're backstage and being ushered forwards to stand on either side of the podium, looking out onto what seems like the whole of Alternia. There's a sea of gray and orange ahead of you, staring intently forward to the empty center stage. A buzz of conversation rises from them, eagerly awaiting the new empress.  
 

Your face hardens as it looks out upon them, and you note that far away, Eridan's has too. There's no being jovial in front of Alternia, especially when you're always on the clock. Feferi's new policies won't change the fact that opinions could have the law system or the military forces crashing to their cores if someone knew about you two, and what happens behind closed doors.  
 

The trumpeters play the anthem and everyone quiets, sitting squarely in their seats. Feferi's entrance will mean everything; the future of Alternia, the change in the caste system, and how life will be for all trolls. So she emerges, in the same vibrant golds, tyrians, and pure whites of the prep room you just left. Regal, powerful, and pure. She takes her spot and the crowd erupts into noise, cheering and whooping and hollering the whole while. Feferi raises her hand, and she begins to speak.  
 

"People of my Great and Glorious Alternian Empire, I stood before Her Imperious Condescension not a few evenings ago, and I now stand before you, Queen of the Sea and Stars, and crownbearer of the Alternian throne."  
 

You zone out there. Feferi has practiced this same speech to you and Eridan and the rest of your friends countless times, countless ways, and in countless situations. You hope the other ten are drifting off into Lalaland as you are, thinking to yourself. About the new responsibilities, about the changing legal systems, about the changing military policy, about whether you'll be busy because of it, about whether your matesprit will be busy, about whether it's safe to call him that now, about that dumb servant, about whether or not he can keep his mouth shut, about—  
 

You're cut off in your thoughts when something catches your attention. In the corner of your senses, you can smell Eridan's gaze wandering off, looking towards you, embarrassing himself and the whole coronation. What were you worried about, again? You forget for a moment and a small smile tugs at the corner of your mouth.


End file.
